Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Cracking an Ancient Code

 Gregg Shorthand

I'll have to admit, I'm pretty rusty now, but there once was a time when I could scribble shorthand as fast as anyone in my class, and found it extremely useful - especially for writing notes in church - well, that was for those who didn't know sign language and actually had to have the written word, so to speak. 

And yes, I did get caught once. The pastor abruptly stopped talking and asked my friend and me to stop writing notes, before resuming his sermon. It so happened that my friend was the pastor's kid.  I still write notes in church, but they're usually notes on the sermon, written to myself. 

That was back in the day when shorthand skills were valued. And when typing, we worried about making holes in our paper as we erased errors, and tried not to let erasures (??) fall down among the typewriter keys. That was when typewriter keys could get stuck together in one glump if you weren't careful. That was when 'cut and paste' actually meant cut (with a scissors) and paste (with paste or glue)! And when you'd get ink on your fingers trying to replace a typewriter ribbon.

Ah, those were the days...And I'm so glad they're over, at least that part.

Although I'd like to find a usable IBM Selectric like I used in highschool (the one with the cool little font ball), I love the ease of writing, communicating, etc. brought to us by the computer age. And it seems so odd that my grandchildren won't remember a time without computers, Ipods, Ipads, Kindle, etc. etc.


 Fun Stuff!!


My two finds at the thrift store

But the shorthand in the first photo? I'm still trying to figure it out. There are bits and pieces I recognized right away, but some of the shorter shortcuts I'm still working on. I think I've identified the words, 'presently,' 'you will have,' and 'trouble.'

Yikes. I hope that's not like a fortune cookie prophecy.

Now I've got to get busy and put away the papers that surround my desk. I think I told you about them last week, during that fleeting moment of motivation...

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This post is linked to Adorned From Above 
 
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29 comments:

  1. Urgh paperwork, sometimes I feel like I'm drowning in the stuff! I am trying to cut down on paper but we've just had to send off ID to the solicitors to buy a house and realised neither of us have anything in our name so I've had to re-start paper statements and bills to get the proof and then have to remember to change them back to online! *sigh* life's never easy when it comes to paper lol!

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  2. Oh I forgot all about changing the ribbons on typewriters - lol - yes we would be full of ink!
    And I actually used my shorthand in my first job - can you imagine?
    It was the late 70's!
    What a blast from the past Judy - how quickly we forget!
    XOX

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  3. Ahhhh, shorthand.. I can't remember the last time I saw that. They were still offering it when I got into high school, but most of us went with typing class instead.. I mean that was the way of the future!! lol

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  4. Most of us couldn't type as fast as the boss could speak, but we could take dictation and do shorthand that fast. And actually, we had three classes connected with business - shorthand, typing, and bookkeeping.

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  5. I never learned to do shorthand. My first job was in an office and I used to type statements on an old typewriter. I remember having inky fingers from the ribbon.
    I suppose shorthand and typewriters are pretty much obsolete now.

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  6. still laughing at the passing notes story... been there done that, except for one difference, I as the pastors kid and it was my dad the pastor that stopped in the middle of his sermon and asked that we quit passing notes... and once he stopped and asked us to quit whispering.. and we were on the back row plus we were 15 years old.. i learned to type with the font ball and i am so happy i don't have to change ribbons anymore

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  7. My first degree was in English so you can imagine how many papers I typed. It wasn't until the very last paper of my degree that I had the opportunity to use a word processor. "Where have you been all my life?!" was my reaction.

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  8. You really brought back memories of shorthand class, and changing typewriter ribbons. I was much better at typing than shorthand. I can't help you with cracking the code. I never used shorthand after high school.

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  9. My friend in high school used to write me notes in Spanish which just irritated me since I didn't take Spanish. After I took shorthand which was required in those days to get a job, it ruined my writing in long hand. I left out letter and my penmanship went right out the window.

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  10. I have never been a secretary, so never had to learn shorthand, but I do remember it and was a little jealous of my friends who could take notes so fast, because they did know shorthand. Now, when notes must be taken for minutes, a recorder is used and minutes typed from that, after the meeting. I would think that there is still value in knowing shorthand. Maybe it's not too late to learn!!

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  11. I have always wanted to learn shorthand! We did find a few Gregg's books at an estate sale and started doing a few lessons, but never finished.
    Once we barrowed a typwriter from our Grandmas and had great fun palying with it for a few weeks until Mom made us take it back. You certainly had to have finger muscle to plunk those keys!

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  12. Yes! I took high school shorthand too! Remember how we were taught to begin each letter with "Dear Sir"? That's because "the boss" (always male) was presumed to be dictating to one of "the girls" in the steno pool! Times-and office equipment- have certainly changed-but this "oddity from my shorthand 60s" has got to be the best thing to go!

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  13. I used to know shorthand and I was always fast on the typewriter. Who knew that skill would serve us well in a completely different way in the 21st century? : )

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  14. Shorthand is actually something I wish I knew. I studied journalism in college and man it would have been useful.
    I am LOVING the copy of Jane Eyre, I have to resist buying every copy I find. :)

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  15. What fun memories your post has brought up-LOL

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  16. Oh Goodness! I took short hand back in the late 60s and of course typing. I didn't remember a single word of phrase!! Now typing --- that should be taught in every kdg., 1st and 2nd grade today!! I watch these kids hunt and peck or zip with two fingers and I cringe!! Sister Mary Theresa loved Andy Williams, so we learned to type to Moon River!!
    fff jjj ddd kkk sss lll aaa ;;; . . .

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  17. I'll bet you remember purple dittos, too? Boy, they sure were messy! Thanks for the fun post!

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  18. Thanks for stopping by with your lovely comments on my Winter Mantel. I love your post it reminds me of my father's typewriter that he let me play on when I was growing up...the jammed up, inky ribbon was always so messy. I still think I would like to have one for "ole times sake!"
    I am following you via linky...thanks for following me!

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  19. My mom was great at shorthand - I never learned how. They don't teach that anymore. And remember if you made a mistake in typing? Oh my gosh I got soooooooooooo frustrated. LOL THose were the days.

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  20. Never learned shorthand, although I used to write a lot so kinda came up with my own abbreviations. Still do that on grocery lists-- baffle my husband at times. Years ago I actually had to mill around the store aisles while trying to decipher one of my own abbreviations! Love the books by the way!

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  21. Fun to remember high school days, old typewriters and shorthand!

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  23. I love how you are making a DA series of soaps, how very creative.

    I had one of those tyepwriters, and would be so mesmerized by the little ball spinning that I would forget to type...

    Jen

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  24. Isn't it interesting that our grandchildren won't even know how to sign their name or read cursive, as it is now known. Sad!!!
    hugs,
    Laura

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  25. I've never seen that before! It looks like a mysterious language- lol...love your Downton inspired soaps@

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  26. I remember shorthand, I took a class for shorthand in high school. I was never very good at it though. Great post!!

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  27. My mother was a school psychologist for 40 years and she said that in the last so many of those years that those people really needed to get those tests updated because the kids no longer knew what a typewriter was and there is a picture of one in one of the tests and the kids had to tell what it was. Ha! Wow, that's some bad grammar there...sorry. :) I have my own little shorthand I came up with while taking notes in college. I only remember one symbol---too much partying back then I guess. LOL

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  28. My kids are fascinated when they see me writing shorthand. My 28 year old son actually wants me to teach it to him. I said, "No." I loved the IBM Selectric typewriter, but I bought an old Royal manual that I love typing on. It's so satisfying hearing the keys hit the paper.

    Do you remember the old copiers? They were horrible! And typing using carbon paper and several sheets of paper? I'm glad those days are gone.

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